Mr Scalise, 51, is reported to have been shot by an unidentified gunman at a baseball practice close to Washington DC on Wednesday morning.

Prior to joining the House of Representatives, Mr Scalise served in the Louisiana State Senate for four months and spent twelve years in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Steve Scalise playing baseball in 205Credit:
Getty Images

Mr Scalise, a former systems engineer, was elected to serve as Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives in 2014.

He is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, endorsed his bid as the Republican party's presidential candidate and backed him on the executive order for the controversial travel ban.

He has voted with Mr Trump on the vast majority of Congress motions, including dismantling the Dodd-Frank financial regulations, and withholding Affordable Care Act subsidies from people until their citizenship is verified.

Donald Trump with Steve Scalise in the White House in MarchCredit:
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In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Mr Trump tweeted calling him "a true friend and patriot". Mr Scalise is the No. 3 House Republican leader.

Representative Mo Brooks, a Republican, said several other people also were hit, including two law enforcement officers. Brooks said that Mr Scalise was down on the ground with what Brooks described as “a hip wound.”

Mr Scalise married his wife, Jennifer, in 2005. On his website, he describes himself as a proud father of two children, Madison and Harrison. He lives with his family in Jefferson, Louisiana.

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says that he pulled Mr Scalise's phone out of his pocket and called Mrs Scalise so she didn't wake up to see the shooting on the news.